‘Sun Chaser’ Creators Hope Animated Series Inspires the Next Generation of Filipino Storytellers

By Janet Susan R. Nepales
Photography courtesy of "Sun Chaser" and Janet Nepales

While DreamWorks Animation is bringing Filipino mythology to movie theaters with "Forgotten Island," Filipino American creators Bobby Pontillas and Bernard Badion are introducing audiences to Philippine folklore through "Sun Chaser," an independent animated web series created with artists in the Philippines, in collaboration with Toon City Animation and PlayLab Animation Studio.

The series follows Jordan Santos, a reluctant teenager visiting his grandmother’s island in the Philippines, who discovers he is the next Spirit Guardian. He sets sail across the Sea of a Million Islands to save his grandmother, uncover the truth behind his missing father and stop a growing darkness from consuming the human and spirit worlds.

The voice cast includes Manny Jacinto as Jordan; Liza Soberano as Angie and Queen Marisol; Charo Santos as Lola; Dingdong Dantes as Necrofrost; Zia Dantes as Sessa; KD Estrada as La Bamba; Eugene Cordero as Archie; JR De Guzman as JR; and AC Bonifacio as Zoe.

"Sun Chaser" received the Animation du Monde Prize at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival before premiering on YouTube on June 22. The creators initially launched a Kickstarter campaign to fund a second episode, but later canceled it after the project's funding partner committed to supporting the next installment.

Pontillas shared the inspiration behind "Sun Chaser," saying, "It came from a personal place of wanting to tell a story rooted in Filipino mythology and identity, through the eyes of a young Filipino American trying to reconnect with his roots."

Asked why the project became such a passion project, Badion said it has been years in the making.

"To start off, Bobby and I have been on this project for about seven years," he said. "We started a long, long time ago, meeting in restaurants where we lived, and for years, the only two people who cared about it were me and Bobby. We were throwing around ideas about a boy going back to the Philippines, finding this makeshift family on a boat and going on adventures.

"The story stems a lot from Bobby's and my experience of being in a third culture, growing up in a culture that is not our parents'. The first thing we connected on when we started talking about this project was when we would go back to the Philippines. People looked like us, but it was so foreign.

"The experience was great. It gave you a sense of discovery, and there was a bit of fright, a bit of shock. We wanted to turn all those emotions into a story, into something beautiful. This is what we came up with.

"So why is it a passion project? It stems from my own experience as a kid and now as a father. I don't want to speak for Bobby, but from Bobby's own experience, too. That's why we've been so passionate about it and just beating the drum for it for seven years. And now we're here."

Pontillas, an Academy Award nominee for the animated short film "One Small Step," said, "To go off what Bernard is saying, the initial inspiration behind it was bringing it to the Philippines. It became very clear to us that the only way to make this was to bring it to the Philippines and have it be made by Filipino artists. Historically, the Filipino animation industry has been a service work studio. There are phenomenal artists over here that do work for Disney or Warner Bros. But at some point, we decided that there are so many amazing artists over here.

"There are so many mythological stories that we can tell over here. Why don't we start telling our own stories? After we started developing 'Sun Chaser' in the U.S., it became very clear that the way to move forward was to go to the Philippines and make it with the Filipino talent pool over here. That's very important for us as well. Super important. I'm passionate about that.

"It is like coming from LA to Manila; I see the talent pool here, both young and old, especially the young generation. It's very important for them, in my mind, to see something like this happen. We're hoping that it continues forward in the future so that it uplifts the animation community over here and changes the paradigm. We're not just a service work studio; we're creating our own ideas, making it all the way for years to come. So, we're trying to shift that a little bit for the Philippines.”

Jacinto said joining the project was an easy decision because of his longtime friendship with Badion and his admiration for Pontillas' work.

"I've been a fan of Bernard. We're friends," he said. "The Filipino community is so small and tight knit. Bernard was one of the first people I was introduced to, and we've been wanting to work on something together for a really long time.

"There was a pilot that we were working on together that involved boxing that didn't really pan out. And then we were just constantly trying to work together, and then 'Sun Chaser' came along.

"I also met Bobby Pontillas at a Gold House event. And we got along really well. Bobby and Bernard pitched me this project, and it was centered around Filipinos. It was going to be made by Filipinos as well, which is so special. So, I definitely wanted to hop on board once they told me that."

Jacinto also emphasized the importance of representation through the project. He said, “It puts a light on our culture. Not just the culture in general, but even just the people who work to try and get our culture out there.

"Bobby has been in animation for such a long time, and he's worked on such incredible projects. For him to bring on animators from the Philippines to work on something that they're incredibly proud of, I feel, is so special, and that rallies the community. It shows that Filipinos are incredibly talented and hardworking, and that they can collaborate to make something really special as well. From all different aspects, there are so many reasons why this feels so special."

Bonifacio said she immediately wanted to be part of the series.

“When I learned about what the project was, who the people involved were, how passionate the team was and the fact that it’s Filipino and celebrates our culture, I definitely wanted to be in,” she said.

Although it was her first animation project, Bonifacio said Pontillas made the experience enjoyable.

“Bobby was always there to guide me,” she said. “It was so much fun.”

Pontillas highlighted Bonifacio’s enthusiasm on set, praising her work as Zoe.

“AC was so much fun to work with. Her excitement and energy are perfect for the character Zoe, who is pretty much down for anything. I can’t wait for a Zoe-focused episode. She originally auditioned for the role of Sessa, Jordan’s younger cousin, and then for Zoe. Apparently, she knocked both auditions out of the park! Ultimately, when Zia Dantes came in as Sessa, Liza Soberano, who also serves as a producer on the project, eventually gave AC the role of Zoe,” Pontillas said, calling the decision “the best call.”